Whiffletree, neck yoke, or evener



March 17, 1925.

1,530,145 J. W. STOLLE Filed Aug. 8, 1922 Patented Mar. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOHN WILLIAM STO'LLE, OF ASHLANI), MAINE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN C.

WEIGHT, 013 ASHLAND,.MAINE. i

WHIFFLETREE, NECK YOKE, OR. EVENER.

Application filed August 8, 1922. Serial No. 580,498

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN XV. STOLLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ashland, in the county of Aroostook and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful lVhiilietree, Neck Yoke, or Evener, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to unbreakable whifiietrees, neck yokes and eveners, and has for its object the provision of a wooden body member of the same shape and size as the ordinary wooden whiflletree, neck yoke or evener now in general use, but internally reinforced in such a manner that its resistance to breakage will be increased at least fourfold without adding appreciably to the weight. g

The invention contemplates the employment of a longitudinal reinforcing rod extending throughout the whiflietree, neck yoke, or evener, with the ends of the rod projecting beyond the ends of the body member and provided with securing means bearing against the ends of the body member so as to serve the double purpose of resisting breakage of said body member and to hold in place the usual whiffietree hooks or trace ring cuffs.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing in the drawing, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as ex manner of securing one end of the rein forcing rod to the end of the whiffletree; Figure 3 18 a plan view of the lock washer; and

Figure 4c is an end View of the spanner nut for securely locking the reinforcing rod in position on the end of the whiffletree.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown for the purpose of illustration only, a whifiletree reinforced by my improved orchains of a harness.

method, and in which 1 designates a body member made of some light material, such .as hard wood, and provided with a longitudinal bore, either'at' the center or between the center and the rear. face, through which bore is forced an iron rod 2, having one end threaded as shown at 3, and extended beyond one end 13 of the Whiflietree body to loosely receive a lock washer 4, and a spanner nut 5 adapted to be tightly screwed against the lock washer.

Upon the ends of the body member 1 are'shrunk, in the usual manner, sleeves or cufi's 6 provided with projectinghooks 7 for the reception of theends of the traces The ends of the body member 1 are tapered so that when the sleeves 6- are mounted on said ends, the outer faces of said sleeves will lie sub-' stantially flush with the outer face. of the body member. Running transversely of. each sleeve on its inner wall is a rib 8 adapted to be seatedwithin a groove in the end of the body member to prevent turning of the sleeve.

The lock washer is circular in plan and of a diameter to not only fully cover one end 13 of the body member 1, when placed in face-to-face engagement with said end, but to engage the outer peripheral edge of the cuff on that end of the body member. The washer is provided with a central 10 in which slide the lugs 11 projecting inwardly from diametrically opposite points on the periphery of the perforation 9, and

thusvprevent rotation of the rod when it is desired to tighten the nut.

On the inner face of the washer a are integrally formed pointed lugs or teeth 12 adapted to find a seat in the end 113 of the body member 1 by driving the washer inwardly. In this way turning of the washer relative to the body member, when locked by the nut 5, is prevented.

The spanner nut 5 is provided with spaced perforations 14 adapted to receive a tool washer 4 thus bringing the rod 2 under the desired tension. The nut 5 is of substantially the same diameter as the washer 4:.

for turning said nut up tightly against the The end of the rod 2, which is opposite to the end 13 of thebody member 1, is provided with an integrally formed head or cap 15, with its inner face flat and in engagement with the adjacent end of the body member, while its'outer face is rounded to correspond with the shape of the nut at the other end. The shape, however, is not material. The diameter of the head or cap is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the cuff-6 so that said cuff will be en gaged by the head or cap to prevent end-- wise movement of the cuff from one end of the body member. The washer 4 similarly if prevents endwise movement of the cufi' at the other end of said member.

A clevis 16 is secured to the central portion and in embracing relation with the body member 1 to provide means for attaching I said body to a vehicle;

The nut 5, washer 4, and the cap or head 15 are not only adapted to prevent loss of the ends from the ends of the body member 1, but by hearing rigidly againstthe ends of the body member will act as a resistance toproduce tensile strain on the rein forcing rod 2 when a pull is exerted on the ends of the body member, and which tends to bend said body member. The material of the body member likewise cooperates with the rod 2 to resist bending of the hittleprising a wooden body member, a metallic reinforcing rod running longitudinally through said body member from end to end, with its ends projecting beyond the ends of said body member, cufis mounted on the ends of the body member, and means mounted on the ends of the rod and of such a diameter that said means bear against the ends of said body member and also overlapping the ends and holding them in position on the body member, said means being held from rotation independent of the body member, and also holding the rod from rotation.

2. A deviceof the class described, comprising a wooden body member, a metallic reinforcing rod running longitudinally through said body member, a. head or cap formed on one end of the rod and of a diameter to bear against the entire end of the body member, the other end of said rodbeing threaded and projecting beyond the body member, a washer mounted on that end of the rod and provided with teeth to be driven into the body member, and of a diameter to bear against the entire end of the body member, means formed on the washer and rod to hold the rod from rotative movement, and a nut screwed on the threaded end of the rod and bearing against the washer for placing the rod under tension, and serving also to hold the teeth of the washer in engagen'ient with the body member.

3. A device of the class described comprising a body member, a reinforcing rod running longitudinally through said body member and provided with a threaded end projecting beyond said body, with diametrically disposed grooves running longitudinally ot' the threaded end of said rod, cufl's on the ends of the body member and provided with books, a head or cap integrally formed on the one end of the rod and abutting an end of the body member and of a diameter to engage the cufii on said end of the body member, a lock washer provided with a central perforation adapted to receive the.

threaded end of the rod, lugs projecting inwardly from diametrically opposite points on the periphery of the perforation and slidable in the grooves on the threaded end of the rod, teeth projecting from the inner face of the washer adapted to engage the end of the body member, said lock washer being adapted to engage the cuff, and a nut engaging with the threaded end of the rod and bearing against the washer for rigidly locking the rod in position and preventing loss of the cuiis from said body member.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature.

JOHN WVILLIAM STOLLE. 

